The first high school in Fairfield

Armijo High School is not just remarkable for its athletics, academics, and music and arts programs, but it is notable as the first high school in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD). Over 125 years of history has shaped what the school is today.

History

The school is named after Jose Francisco Armijo, who held one of the six Mexican land grants of Solano County before California became part of the United States. These land grants included northern and eastern parts of Suisun Valley and Tolenas Valley.

Known as Armijo Union High in 1891, the school opened in the Suisun Grammar School, where Latin, English, history and mathematics were available courses. The school began with 30 students in a single classroom, in the Crystal Elementary School building. Two years later, the first Armijo High School building was built in Union Avenue. The first graduating class consisted of three students.

In March 1915, the new Armijo, which was a 16,000 square-foot building and is current-day Solano County Hall of Justice, opened. Almost 15 years after being established, a fire in the library caused damage to the school, suffering a loss of more than $200,000 in funds. The school moved into various areas nearby the city, including the Fairfield Firemen’s Club rooms, the Methodist Church, multiple rooms of the Fairfield Grammar School, and the Suisun Community Club.

In 1960, the new Armijo building opened on Washington Street, which is the present location, while the library moved to larger areas in Kentucky Street by the 1970s. In 1972, Fairfield Elementary School was established in what is now the Armijo Annex. The elementary school was later absorbed by the ever-growing high school.

Armijo continued to evolve in the current century. In 2001, the school began the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The school’s new $4 million library was unveiled in 2011, while the new administration building opened three years later. In 2019, the FSUSD school board voted unanimously to change the mascot from the Indians, a term that was viewed by some as racist toward native people, and began the process of adopting a new mascot: the Armijo Royals.

Staff:

There have been many significant faculty members that have made contributions to the Armijo community, some of whom have their names honored under notable school areas that we walk through every day. In 1954, Armijo students began a protest after a teacher and vice-principal were fired, which made national headlines. In 1955, the school’s football field was dedicated to James Brownlee, who held the longest time for being the school principal (1921-49). In 1956, Ivan Collier started the Air Force Junior ROTC program. In 1964, Armijo Vice-Principal, Sam Tracas, became the first principal of Fairfield High School. In 1972, the school gymnasium was named for E. Gary Vaughn, a Class of 1959 grad and former Armijo staff member. From 1968-78, the Armijo Band was renamed as the Armijo Superband, along with the direction of Ray Lindsey. In 2017, Sheila Smith became the school’s first female principal.

Students/Alumni:

There are numerous alumni from Armijo who have become successful during and after their high school career. Minnie Meyer, Class of 1928, broke the world record for running the 100-meter dash at 12.03 seconds. In 1932, Ernest Crowley, Class of 1917, was elected to the California Assembly. In 1945, Coach Ed Hopkins, Class of 1933 grad and Armijo Coach, was involved in the Japanese World War II surrender. Following the Pearl Harbor Attack in December 1941, 22% of the school’s students were relocated to internment camps.

Mike Diaz, Class of 1953, set state basketball records for points in a game, in a season, and in a career, all of which became city records. In 1974, Gary Falati, Class of 1958 grad and former staff member, was elected to the Fairfield City Council, where he became the mayor for 16 years. Michael Burgher, Class of 1975, set a record for wrestling wins (66) and won the state championship at Palomar College in 1976. In 1980, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization was founded by Candance Lighter, Class of 1964, after her daughter was killed by a drunk driver. In the same year, Phillip Glashoff, Class of 1969, became globally recognized for his scrap metal art. The Bowen Lectures that are held each year at UC Berkeley, began in honor of acclaimed mathematician, Rufus Bowen, Class of 1964.

In 1982, Doug Martin, Class of 1976 grad, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and selected for the NFL Pro Bowl. In 1983, Grammy-winning band Huey Lewis & The News, which featured saxophonist and singer Johnny Colla, Class of 1970, released the multi-platinum album “Sports”. Pat Morita, Class of 1949, received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 57th Academy Awards of 1985, for his role as Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid”. In 1987, George Martin, Class of 1970, made a pivotal sack on John Elway, Denver Broncos quarterback.

In 1991, Jim Inglebright, Class of 1979, participated in his first NASCAR race. In the same year, the Armijo Alumni Association was launched to provide scholarships. Ramona Garrett, Class of 1970, became the first woman and African-American appointed to serve as a Solano County judge in 1992. In 1993, Steve DeVries, Class of 1983 grad, achieved the number 18 rank globally in doubles as a professional tennis player. In the same year, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Greg Flener, Class of 1987, played his first Major League Baseball game. The Oakland A’s team called up Jim Bowie, Class of 1983, in 1994. His Armijo #33 jersey retired in 2012.

In 2000, Garry Ichickawa, Class of 1965 grad and former Fairfield City Councilman, was appointed Solano County Superior Court Judge. In 2007, Matt Garcia, Class of 2004, became the youngest Fairfield City Council Member, at 21 years old, although he was killed in 2008. In 2009, Robert Hale, Class of 1964, was nominated by President Obama as Undersecretary of Defense.

In 2015, the school’s Alumni Association started the Armijo High School Hall of Fame, which recognized outstanding alumni and faculty. Well-known musician, D.M.A.C., an Armijo alumni, released the song, “Panoramic”, in 2014, along with Sage the Gemini, Rodriguez and Fairfield High alumni. To celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary in 2016, the school invited alumni, one of which was Guido Colla, Class of 1942, who was the oldest alumni in attendance. In 2018, Frank Adney III, Class of 2004 grad, worked on Pixar’s The Incredibles 2, as an animator. Recently, in Season 15 of America’s Got Talent, Frenchie Babyy, an Armijo alumni, auditioned as a contortionist dancer, moving into the Quarter-Finals.

Sources:

Armijo High School 125 Years: Timeline of Indian Pride https://youtu.be/BzUFTw9ucro

Back in the Day: Armijo High School history timeline https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/local-features/local-lifestyle-columns/armijo-high-school-history-timeline-new/

Fairfield high school to change mascot from ‘Indians’ https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Fairfield-indians-name-change-armijo-high-school-13798685.php#photo-14001340

The day Armijo High School burned down http://articles.solanohistory.net/436/

Back In The Day https://www.facebook.com/armijoalumni/photos/back-in-the-day:-armijo/10153191423972435/